Corey Haddad looks at the top senior wrestlers in Pennsylvania.
Regarded as the most competitive state for high school wrestling, this year's senior class in Pennsylvania totals only three state championships and five runner-up finishes. What may be lacking in star power, is a deep group of finely skilled wrestlers who have the potential to be All-Americans as NCAA student-athletes. This list is not rated by accomplishments, but instead how their style and intangibles translate to collegiate competition. Here are the Top 10 prospects in the state of Pennsylvania for the 2015 senior class.
1. Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh Central Catholic)
Projected High School Weight Class: 145
Projected College Weight Class: 149
College Commitment: Penn State
Vincenzo Joseph (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Career Highlights:
2. Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional)
Projected High School Weight Class: 145/152
Projected College Weight Class: 157/165
College Choices (listed alphabetically): Cornell, Iowa, Lehigh, Stanford
Michael Kemerer (Photo/Rob Preston)Career Highlights:
3. Josh Shields (Franklin Regional)
Projected High School Weight Class: 160/170
Projected College Weight Class: 157/165
College Commitment: Arizona State
Words from the Corner: "Josh is successful because of his work ethic, conditioning, heavy hands and incredible hips. He is always giving one-hundred percent in whatever he does; lifting or wrestling. He is constantly pushing himself to complete exhaustion in the practice room which ends up providing him incredible match-time conditioning. He will be successful at the next level because he understands the importance of positioning and hand fighting. He always has his hands on his opponents, wearing them down and takes advantage of it in the second and third period (where he scores) most of his points. Josh also has excellent workout partners in the room as well in Josh Maruca and Michael Kemerer. Shields is also a great role model volunteering at our youth practices and is very involved in his youth group." -- Eric Mausser, Franklin Regional head wrestling coach
Career Highlights:
4. A.C. Headlee (Waynesburg)
Projected High School Weight Class: 132
Projected College Weight Class: 133/141
College Commitment: North Carolina
Words from the Corner: "Very good on his feet, tough on top, and can get out on most people (from bottom). He (goes for the pin) and is a great student (with a 3.9 GPA). A.C. is a hard worker, mentally tough, and a leader in the room (as team captain). Headlee loves freestyle, wrestles year-round, and (puts in extra) work after practice. He hates to lose and seeks partners in the room that will push him." -- Joe Throckmorton, Waynesburg head wrestling coach
Career Highlights:
5. Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area)
Projected High School Weight Class: 132/138
Projected College Weight Class: 133/141
College Commitment: Virginia
Words from the Corner: "Sam has the most natural talent of any wrestler I have coached in the past ten years. His mat awareness and ability to quickly learn new techniques will make him a serious threat to win multiple national titles for the University of Virginia." -- Vince DeAugustine, Hempfield Area head wrestling coach
Career Highlights:
6. Josh Maruca (Franklin Regional)
Projected High School Weight Class: 145/152
Projected College Weight Class: 149/157
College Commitment: Arizona State
Words from the Corner: "The skills Josh brings to the table are extremely unique. Not only does he have the ability to score at will, if he chooses to, but he can scramble with the best of them. His defense and top work is incredible and in the practice room and on the mat he's one tough dude. Josh's mindset and mentality is what sets him apart from his opponents, though. When he steps on the mat and is ready to roll, he's unbeatable. He loves being in the dog fights too and has no problem gritting out a tough win. I know Josh will be successful at the college level. His dedication and mindset to the sport of wrestling and training will allow him to become a national champion and more if he chooses to do so. I wish him the best of luck this year and sure will miss him and the rest of the Panther crew next year!" -- Mike Corcetti, Franklin Regional assistant wrestling oach
Career Highlights:
7. Patrick Duggan (Cumberland Valley)
Projected High School Weight Class: 152/160
Projected College Weight Class: 149/157
College Commitment: West Virginia
Words from the Corner: "One of Patrick's biggest attributes is his phenomenal strength and mat awareness. He is pound-for-pound the strongest wrestler I have ever coached. This summer Patrick became a Fargo (Junior freestyle) All-American and continuously works to improve his skills on the mat. We are expecting big things from Patrick as a senior and a leader on what could be a very talented Cumberland Valley team." -- Dave Heckard, Cumberland Valley head wrestling coach
Career Highlights:
8. Jan Johnson (Governor Mifflin)
Projected High School Weight Class: 195
Projected College Weight Class: 197
College Commitment: Akron (Football)
Words from the Corner: "Jan is a very good student who leads a clean life, makes good choices and can lead others with his words and actions. Because he plays several sports, Jan is competitive and has a good sense of how to prepare for a match and the stresses that go with winning and losing. He is team oriented. Most guys strive to be solid in all three phases of wrestling, neutral, top and bottom. Jan also excels in what I think of as the fourth area -- that is awareness and use of time and mat space. Jan has a solid offensive skill set but also knows how to be stingy and minimize his opponents to scoring opportunities." -- Ralph Voit, Governor Mifflin head wrestling coach
Career Highlights:
9. L.J. Barlow (Haverford School)
Projected High School Weight Class: 195
Projected College Weight Class: 197
College Choices: Cornell, Harvard, Pennsylvania, and Princeton
Words from the Corner: "L.J. has been successful because he is very strong and explosive and he maintains really good, solid position. He is really hard to score on and tough to hold down. He is very competitive and wants to beat every opponent he faces, which fuels his work ethic. He also maintains good nutrition and takes care of the little things that lead to success. He is a high character guy with a good moral compass that guides him through these complex years." -- Bruce Kennett, Haverford School head wrestling coach
Career Highlights:
10. Kellan Stout (Mt. Lebanon)
Projected High School Weight Class: 182
Projected College Weight Class: 197
College Choices: Cornell, Lehigh, Penn State, Pitt
Words from the Corner: "Kellan's biggest strength right now is that he is technically very sound and fundamentally solid in all areas. He keeps great position throughout matches, and has a tremendous amount of athleticism. Another thing that has made him successful is he isn't afraid to push the action and dictate the pace of his matches. He has high expectations for himself that continue to drive him in and outside of the season. He is an extremely focused individual when the lights go on and it is game time. As mentioned, Kellan is a tough wrestler but even more importantly he has matured into a great young man. He is very loyal to his teammates, has a good work ethic, and strives for excellence. These attributes will serve him well on the college level where we feel he will only continue to get better. Although, we had to change many of our record boards in the wrestling room the past few years because of his accomplishments, I honestly feel his best years are ahead of him." -- Bill Lewis, Mt. Lebanon head wrestling coach
Career Highlights:
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